Originally Posted by
T8191
And there's the rub, not the innumerable solo Business pax we see here on the Forum.
THEY NEED 64A/K on the 744, or they go meltdown.
Some people NEED privacy.
We Leisure pax just want 2 adjacent seats, where SWMBO has Aisle access.
And don't even start on bassinets!
It's a complex scenario, and BA does it's best to meet all demands, mainly by charging for the 'special' seating' for those who have neglected to display loyalty to BA/OW.
(OMG, I'm apologising for BA. Sorry!)
When I joined FT many moons ago, getting my head around BA's seating policy was one of the first things I managed to master. Back then I was a Blue card holder and my long haul forays were either WT+ purchases using MFUs on solo trips or using Amex companion vouchers when travelling as a couple. The policy differed back then - if my memory serves me correctly, 60% of the seats were allocated on a first come first served basis and after the 60% had gone.... well, that was it. The remaining 40% were divvied up by airport control and distrubuted at checkin (OLCI, phone checking, Paddington station check-in or at the airport). This policy clearly favoured those who booked their flights well in advance (and price conscious customers such as myself) while disadvantage those paying full whack.
Times have changed as has my travel pattern. Now, I often find self booking flights on a Thursday for travel to HKG on a Sunday. It is quite common to be placed on a waitlist before receiving a confirmed seat but in any event, I appreciate there is some semblance of choice available to me.
So yes, the policy works for me. I do sympathise with families though.